A1 I hate giving a “grade”. To me it says “You got this many things right on this date” or “You completed this much work". Doesn’t give a real perspective on where a kid is at. #rebel#MOedchat
A1: if grading is just letters and numbers - not personal - not specific - not tied to a specific response plan - then what Josh said. Pointless #moedchat
A1 Marvin, HS SS here. The purpose of grading is to put a numerical value on the students mastery of objectives. This number also can provide valueable feedback for the ss. #MOedchat
Obviously this is in jest -- I just don't like the context of "grades". The whole I give you/you earn dynamic makes it feel final and inelastic. More feedback, less assignment of percents/letters. #moedchat
A1: The purpose of grading should be to gauge the level of knowledge on a particular topic. Then that grade can be used to measure growth of knowledge. #moedchat
A1. Grades = compliance... I just don't see any way around it. That's not beneficial. Grades can't measure passion and curiosity, which is what learning is. #MOedchat
A1: Feedback that is easy to understand because it is mostly quantitative. However, doesn’t inform students on what skills they have yet to master. #MOedchat
A1) Also grades suck but anything more descriptive would probably suck too. There isn't anything really sexy about describing learning progress to the person who isn't doing the learning. #moedchat
Especially when we use them as bargaining chips. Being in Tissues, YOU GET AN A. Turned it in late, 15% DEDUCTION!!!! Grading practices are so often inconsistent and meaningless. #moedchat
Evening, #MOedchat. Many thoughts, opinions, feelings about grading here: https://t.co/WtsP3gM93n Brought to my attention via recent video at end of list. (Thanks for compiling, @Larryferlazzo!)
A1: When memorization was important, grades could measure how much you could retain. I was GREAT! Ts always let us "skip" the "critical thinking" questions. Too hard to grade. And made us think too hard therefore irrelevant. #bornin1979#MOedchat
Yes! At some point we have forgotten that grades are supposed to be an assessment of ability. Not an accountability measure. Must reign that in. #moedchat
A1..I think the purpose has changed. When info is at your fingertips, do you need to memorize and test everything for retention? Or, do we need to make sure everyone knows certain elements? #MOedchat
Q2: Formative assessments are everything - they guide me and show me what my next steps need to be. I love using google forms and response validation to guide and reteach Ss during some formative assessments #moedchat
In a perfect world we wouldn't need grades. I hate grades, but that is all most of society (including most educational institutions) understand. What to do instead of grades? Pick your poison bec it all works diff since the system was built on alpha-numeric grades. #moedchat
The problem with grading, as we now know it, is that no one knows what you are measuring anymore. Mastery? Ability? Homelife? Responsibility? Character? Memorization? #ditchbook#MOedchat
A2 you would still have to form some kind of grading. Even if it’s like in the elementary level when they use stickers. The question is how do you really know if a student is doing well if they are not graded. #edfb4338#MOedchat
A2: Our depts analyze the fire out of data. We set quarterly pacing based on objectives. Run CFAs, benchmarks, and fill the gaps the best we can for those not progressing. #moedchat
I will agree with you that not doing it just shouldn't be an option. Giving zeroes is an easy way out and let's students off the hook. That's just lazy teaching. #moedchat
If I annoy you on #moedchat, you can complain to my face at #EdCampSTL ;) If I don't annoy you then it would be kind of silly to complain to me but you can do it anyway.
A2: live formative assessments for quick checks on the standards. I can then pull small groups or change my instruction to make the learning more intentional. #MOedchat
A2: Formative are used to evaluate Ss current standing & what else needs to be taught. Summarizes are used to analyze how well Ss can perform the skills you taught them. #moedchat
A2: Formative assessments should be diverse and fitting for the task. They are how we assess the vibe of the learning and should help us to reassess the learning activities in the room. #moedchat
A2. Informatives can guide and direct our work in the classroom.
@jleeTechPercent has the best program out there to progress monitor standards and to create learner groups. #moedchat
Actually learning compliance is necessary for society to work successfully. As a guy that hates to be told what to do, even I get that. #justsayin' #moedchat
Formative assessments inform the teacher what the Ss know. Summative can tell you how much a S retained/applied/understood a unit's learning. But have we outdone this process for test prep? #MOedchat
A2: To help kids see how they can be better. Not to make them feel bad...to help them set goals. And to help me evaluate my own lessons...sometimes they bomb. I'm OK with that...but I need to know so I can do better!
#moedchat
A3: For Ss I provide direct feedback on assignment or rubrics. For Ps it is the online grade book bec so few care for anything but the letter grade as is evident when they only like their Ss being challenged if they can stil get a "good grade" #moedchat
A3: I send no less than 3 positive emails a day to parents. "grades" with comments are weekly. Verbal is multiple times per day. Badges (teaser!) are at the end of productivity. #moedchat
Grading leads to stress in schools for Ts. Ts will categorize and judge Ts...'easy' graders vs 'hard' graders is interpreted to mean low vs high teacher expectations. That is not necessarily the case at all. This pressure does not help Ts coach, guide their Ss. #moedchat
A3 Don't wait till the end of the quarter to share data in hopes it will improve. Keep all stakeholders informed even if they don't want to hear the results. #MOedchat
I get what you're saying here, but I just don't grade with zeroes or percents. Those tools are typically meaningless and don't provide the kind of feedback my students need. #moedchat
In reply to
@LaneWalker2, @GambillJulie, @joerobison907
A3 Don't wait till the end of the quarter to share data in hopes it will improve. Keep all stakeholders informed even if they don't want to hear the results. #MOedchat
A3: effective feedback, goal setting, and clear learning targets let the students know what is expected. The kids should be able to tell you exactly what they are learning and how they are doing. #MOedchat
A2: To help kids see how they can be better. Not to make them feel bad...to help them set goals. And to help me evaluate my own lessons...sometimes they bomb. I'm OK with that...but I need to know so I can do better!
#moedchat
And Joe I second your statements. Grades don't develop WIDE RANGING 'list' of lifeskills employers & adults say our kids need but are not getting in school. Grades were a necessary evil in my book. Kids focus on grades and not on feedback, convos, developing themselves #moedchat
A3: Inform as often as possible. Using google forms w/response validation as daily 'do now' or 'exit slip' formatives gives Ss instant feedback on what they have or have not learned. I know I need to do better about parent comm #moedchat
A3: With live Google Apps and toe to toe feedback, I informally assess all the time. Showing a student where and how and seeing them apply it is learning. A numeric grade has a margin of error. Yes or No is pretty powerful. #moedchat
It appears that as Education shifted to valuing data, Instructional Leaders forgot to ensure that the data is clean (Reliable/Valid). Grades should be a reflection of learning. This should be the expectation of all classes. Also a result of PD time being abused. #moedchat
A3 PORTFOLIOS!!!! All my Ss keep Google Sites with published work examples. We work feedback in through T and S feedback -- any work can always go back and get a polish or shine. The work we do in class is iterative and never truly "ends" summatively #moedchat
Agree - grades tend to create a culture of "what do i have to do for an A"... It dulls the desire to learn and ability of Ts to unlock curiosity and creativity in Ss #MOedchat
A3: grades should be shared often and frequently so the students know what grade they may have. Parents should always have access to their child’s grades. And should be reached out to if their student is performing sub par in the classroom. #edfb4338#MOedchat
Thank you! It is pretty amazing, though I can't take all the credit! It's a living and growing document built on suggestions and collaboration! #MOedchat
A3 I will share student learning any and every way. Took ACT Aspire results and had the students disaggregate their data to understand what each category and table meant. What does there percentile mean when there are 100 Ss, what does it mean when there are10,000 Ss #moedchat
A3 I will share student learning any and every way. Took ACT Aspire results and had the students disaggregate their data to understand what each category and table meant. What does there percentile mean when there are 100 Ss, what does it mean when there are10,000 Ss #moedchat
A3) Shouldn't the students know the results of their learning already? A student that doesn't know what they got right on an assessment already knows they don't know enough. #justsayin' #moedchat
A3 PORTFOLIOS!!!! All my Ss keep Google Sites with published work examples. We work feedback in through T and S feedback -- any work can always go back and get a polish or shine. The work we do in class is iterative and never truly "ends" summatively #moedchat
One grading struggle I've heard consistently every yr in ed: How do we Grade Late Work? 10% off e/day. 50% off. 0% after 3 days. Always accepted. Ts get binary..feel they're not helping kids learn lifeskills if late for full credit. Others say real world has extensions #MOedchat
I have changed my view on grades in the past year. A kid does horrible on assessments in the beginning of learning a standard. Finally gets it after many bad https://t.co/R7z8czqqRa they have a low grade to raise. I'd rather base it more on do they have it yet or not. #MOedchat
My issue is, what "real world value" do grades have? They seem to be a necessary component to satisfy our system. Does an "A" mean someone learned something that has value, or they memorized it? #MOedchat
I think this is a stress put on grading by outside aggressors, learning doesn’t fit a timetable, if you are not willing to give a kid more time, you are focused on compliance and not learning #MOedchat
A4. Hopefully, we are not going this arbitrarily. Rubrics, standards, benchmarks, learning objectives. We need to begin our lessons/units/grading periods with the end in mind. #moedchat
Brown, Roediger,https://t.co/Eq7zRDtNE9 argue that humans tend to over-estimate how much they know. They recommend teaching Ss how to self-assess. #MOedchat
The truth is feedback works best when the kids want to learn something. It rarely works at all if they don't want to learn it. Probably why feedback isn't prioritized in most classrooms. #moedchat
This mindset leads to reaching way too far to teach character lessons, which really isn't our job. We should encourage kids to be prompt and complete things, but gotta avoid obsessing over completion. Quality is more important. #moedchat
I agree but taking something you did earlier in the year and looking at it with fresh eyes and a renewed perspective can lead to self-actualization. We are ever learning and should be evolving. #MOedchat
I base it on what the idea of grades tend to promote. The "what must I do to get an A". Is it my homework, turn in a paper, have good attendance? When Ss pursue a grade over things they are passionate about, it = compliance #MOedchat
A4: "Grade Cycles" shouldn't determine this! Make a digital badge and give it when Ss can prove they MADE learning happen! #BadgeU ..affirmation of a skill mastered, collaboration conquered, questioning done, ANYTHING. Gives them a tangible reward to do MORE #moedchat
A3: Parents should have access to updates at all times. This is the Information Age for Pete’s sake. Positive phone calls, emails and online gradebooks are all available. #MOedchat
I guess what I meant was, they focus on the quality and getting it to their own expectations before they “post” it to their portfolio, show their best #MOedchat
A4: Let kids have digital documentation of each skill they mastered...and make a portfolio of it. Their proof = a mastery video montage! Resume vs. GPA vs. test scores...I'd put that against a digital portfolio and win ANYDAY. #moedchat
To be fair, the high stakes standardized tests through out reliability and validity long before schools even thought to investigate what they meant. :( #moedchat
#moedchat A4(2) Question - if research is correct and an excellent T is among best chances for student success then our focus should be on teaching, training, and keeping good Ts. Grades are becoming obsolete. Good teachers not so much!
A4. If we are completing on the spot assessments and progress monitoring student work all along the way. The final assessment should be the answer to student mastery of the standards. NOT an average of grades. #MOedchat
Like someone said earlier, there is a "necessary evil" component here. I think you can "grade", like we traditionally do, while at the same time considering what should, and should not, be included in that process. #MOedchat
A4: I don't think there is an exactness to grading. If we are future driven, there is going to be a barrel roll of objectives changing. Our Ed system is unsteady with what Ss need vs. what they get. #moedchat
Isn't it funny how much more work teachers are having to do so that we can make grades better? Also, how many detective shows from the 80's relied on matchbooks for clues? It has to be in at least 10% of the episodes... #moedchat
I agree... I think our grading system is broken, but I still have to adhere to it to an extent, b/c there isn't another option right now. I try to stay away from the "0's, h/w grades, etc..." for sure #MOedchat
The reality is the cycle of learning doesn't need grades. Grades aren't there for the students to become better at their craft. Why then do we put so much time and effort into them? #moedchat
I just attended a conference where Dr. Anthony Muhammad spoke about homework lunch. Kids that don't do homework do it during homework lunch. Teachers then assess on can they do it not did they do it. #MOedchat
I'm finding that it is possible to maintain curiosity in a graded classroom. When Ss believe their grades will be fair, it makes it easier to redirect them to the sense of wonder. #MOedchat
A5 #MOedchat. Best resources that I see in my visits are an organized, "with it" T with students working collaboratively to learn NOT doing pprwork. Ts model the expectation and students perform. Ss practice/Ts observe. Ts evaluate the learning.
A5: Best practice: remembering that we are human. Nothing is ever as simple as a letter or number. It is something to consider when approaching the subject of grades. #MOedchat
A5 Flexibility with assessments. I really liked choice boards, but I also let students go off the map if they would like to show learning in other wayshttps://www.advancementcourses.com/blog/choice-boards #moedchat
Maintaining a system of structure can alleviate much stress and questioning. We have to have clear expectations even if at times those expectations are broad. #Moedchat
In reply to
@LaneWalker2, @joerobison907, @LauraGilchrist4
I think traditional grading still signifies the "systematic and standardization" view of education... In reality, Learning is organic, relational, and adaptive, and our grading practices have to begin to mirror this #MOedchat
As i was reading in another tweet, like writing comments and expanding what went wrong rather than just marking a big X on a question. #MOedchat#edfb4338
Well, I haven't given a grade in about a decade. But if memory serves, I put so much time and effort into them to try against all odds to make them mean to someone else what I wanted them to mean.
Which is why I'm now #TeamNarrativeFeedback#moedchat
You absolutely find a way to get this done w/o the test. No question. The test is rooted in an old system. At the end of the day, in that scenario, you find a way to show their mastery #MOedchat
As soon as you go to college & you get accepted based on your HS GPA (which doesn't really matter...#highered will get you in on probation)...no one (that I'm aware of) looks at your HS GPA. So HS Ss & Ts obsess about grades...irrelevant at college acceptance! #moedchat
In reply to
@MrsAteachTech, @joerobison907, @LaneWalker2
A6 Continually using formative and summative assessments and using research based teaching strategies to meet all students needs! Integrating technology and STEM activities to challenge our students at higher levels. Tough work!! #moedchat
A5 I like to provide real world activities. @USATODAY snapshots on FB data and write the teams. Our Ss have voices and there is a real world out there. #moedchat
A6: Get students to value assessments as much as I do. I HATE it when a kid waits until state testing to perform well! There are always students who surprise the heck out of me when scores are released. #moedchat
I really appreciate everyone's voice tonight. It's evident we have passionate educators from across the country working tirelessly to meet learner needs. #MOedchat
A6: Every time a S can demonstrate measured mastery of a soft or tech skill, they earn a badge. They will leave this semester with a digital display case of badges with links to proof of their mastery. Not scores or letters. #moedchat
I once had a kid run out of a certain medicine for whatever reason literally on the first day of state testing. You can bet he REALLY showed what he learned that day… #MOedchat
A5: Inspiration to me is seeing a student take a risk in front of their peers to answer a question or show what they have learned. I am always looking for ways to encourage students to be in control of their education. #MOedchat
I just think, if we subscribe to the idea that learning is organic and relational, and not standardized, then we have to re-think how we grade and how we test. #MOedchat
A6: If you're going to #ISTE18 please come listen to them! These Ss hate "school" but are giving up summer break to spread the word of their worth! 2/15 4:45-6 PM! #moedchat
A5 I like to provide real world activities. @USATODAY snapshots on FB data and write the teams. Our Ss have voices and there is a real world out there. #moedchat
A6: If you're going to #ISTE18 please come listen to them! These Ss hate "school" but are giving up summer break to spread the word of their worth! 2/15 4:45-6 PM! #moedchat
I don't think it the grades that kill the love of learning, it's the attitude with which the grades are given. I give grades (we are required to), but it's not the end of the conversation. Ss always have the opportunity to improve their work. #moedchat
In reply to
@AustinELA8, @awall777, @joshchoward, @LauraGilchrist4, @wmchamberlain
A6: If you're going to #ISTE18 please come listen to them! These Ss hate "school" but are giving up summer break to spread the word of their worth! 6/26 4:45-6 PM! #moedchat#moedchat
